19 Jan 2017

Residents of Tsabong and the surrounding areas have been informed that a 70 beds referral hospital will be built in Tsabong under NDP 11.

The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Frans Van de Westhuizen said a plot has already been identified.

He also informed residents on the newly introduced Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), which he said would help speed up voting and the releasing of general elections results.

He said residents need not panic because the machines had been tried and tested, adding that some Members of Parliament from the ruling party and opposition were taken to India where the machine was manufactured to be shown how it works.

Mr Van der Westhuizen also pointed out that they also benchmarked from Namibia and they were satisfied with its effectiveness.

“Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officers will soon start addressing the general public and inducting them on how the machines operate,” he said.

The public should know that Batswana have laboured hard for their democracy so they would not jeopardise it in any way, he added.

The assistant minister also advised public officers to procure goods and services from local companies to ensure that Batswana benefit the local economic diversification initiative.

He advised that heads of departments should ensure that 15 per cent of the tenders are awarded to the youth to uplift them.

On other issues he pleaded with parents to work closely with teachers as that would afford them the opportunity to monitor the children’s performance in school. BOPA